1. Essential Elements of Social Skill Instruction as a Tier II Intervention
Tim Lewis, Ph.D. & Linda Bradley
University of Missouri
Carrie Freeman
Columbia Public Schools

2. Universal Matrix of school-wide expectations across settings
List of problems = replacements
“Scope and sequence” of social skills
Simple lessons with activities
Year long teaching schedule

3. Benton I am…. All Settings Classroom Hallways Cafeteria Bathrooms
Playground
Assemblies
Safe
Keep bodies calm in line
Report any problems
Ask permission to leave any setting
Maintain personal space
Walk
Stay to the right on stairs
Banisters are for hands
Push in chairs
Place trash in trash can
Wash hands with soap and water
Keep water in the sink
One person per stall
Use equipment for intended purpose
Wood chips are for the ground
Participate in school approved games only
Stay in approved areas
Keep body to self
Enter and exit gym in an orderly manner
Respect-
ful
Treat others the way you want to be treated
Be an active listener
Follow adult direction(s)
Use polite language
Help keep the school orderly
Be honest
Take care of yourself
Walk quietly so others can continue learning
Eat only your food
Use a peaceful voice
Allow for privacy of others
Clean up after self
Line up at first signal
Invite others who want to join in
Enter and exit building peacefully
Share materials
Applaud appropriately to show appreciation
A Learner
Be an active participant
Give full effort
Be a team player
Do your job
Be a risk taker
Be prepared
Make good choices
Return to class promptly
Use proper manners
Leave when adult excuses
Follow bathroom procedures
Be a problem solver
Learn new games and activities
Raise your hand to share
Keep comments and questions on topic

4. Tier II / Small Group
Students displaying social skill challenges as primary concern
Set of skills targeting common concerns
Set of clear generalization strategies for classroom teachers to implement

5. Tier III / Individual Social skill deficits / performance problem
Guided by functional behavioral assessment
Replacement “social skill” meets need
Environment supports use of new skill
High rates of reinforcement
New skill accesses previous function of problem behavior

6. Teaching the General Case
Best Practices
Teaching the General Case

7. Steps in Social Skill Instruction
Assessment
Planning
Lesson Development
Teaching
Generalization

8. Assessment: Student Identification (Data, System)
Use of existing data / assessment sources such as ODR, visits to discipline room, teacher referral, number of “buddy room” visits

9. Assessment: Skill Selection (Data)
Teacher Ratings
Ratings by others
Direct Observation
Importance of discussing cultural, language, and other factors that impact perceptions of “appropriate” social skills

10. Planning Requirements (practices, systems)
Curriculum / Lesson Plans
Adapt/adopt
Group procedures
Generalization strategies

11. Lesson Components (practices)
rule for when to use the skill
set of useful skill variations
teach the rule (TELL)
demonstrate the skill (SHOW)
students practice the skill (PRACTICE)
review and test the skill (PRACTICE)
assign homework (PRACTICE)
Teaching social skills follows the same format as teaching academic skills

12. Lesson Plans: Teach (tell)
definition of essential rule
description of skill components and variations

13. Lesson Plans: Demonstrate (show)
model / demonstrate the skill
select competent and respected students and adults
only the teacher models incorrect responses
select examples from natural context
at least two positive demonstrations of each example

14. Lesson Plans: Practice
role play activities
focus on relevant features
have student "think aloud"
teacher can provide coaching during lesson
involve all members of the group by assigning tasks / questions
have student self evaluate after activity

15. Promoting Maintenance and Generalization
Strategies To Use During Training (practices)
Use naturally occurring examples within role plays
Use naturally occurring reinforcers
Use language of school-wide PBS system
Pinpoint activities students likely to engage

16. Promoting Maintenance and Generalization
Strategies To Use During Training (practices)
Train in the targeted setting
During training, include peers the target student(s) likely to encounter in the problem setting
Use a number of trainers or other adults during training
Continue training for a sufficient amount of time

17. Promoting Maintenance and Generalization
Strategies to Use Within the Target Setting (system, policy)
Prompt students to display skill (Pre-Corrects)
Reinforce displays of skills in generalized settings using language of school-wide PBS/MBI system
Enlist a variety of others to prompt and reinforce skills in generalized settings
Individual contracts and behavior change plans
Group contingencies

18. Parkade Elementary School Columbia, Missouri
Carrie

19. Parkade School’s Mission
Together….Inspiring Life Long Learners
carrie

20. Our School Demographics
Currently 430 students
District Multi-Categorical classroom
District Emotional Disturbance program
Free and Reduced Percentage: 65%
Special Education Students: 19%
Mobility: 23%
Ethnicity
White 46%
Minority 53%
Black 36%
Hispanic 7.5%
Asian 4%
Multi 2.5%
American Indian 2%
Pacific Islander 1%
carrie
Focus on:
Almost 100 more boys in our school than girls
The addition of 20 new ELLs to our school.
Mobility defined as students that either came to us or left us since the beginning of the year.
Don’t discuss F&R.

21. What Systems will Support our Vision?
Carrie
This pyramid represents the goals for our school in meeting students’ needs. It has 2 sides, behavioral and academic. The three levels are called Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3. Tier one is identified as your core program, the program that ALL students in your school receive. An indicator that the core program is successfully meeting student’s needs would show 80% of students falling into this category. Tier 2 students are students who need additional targeted support to meet proficiency targets. With a successful system, you would hope to see 10-15% of your students in this category. Tier 3 students need the most intensive support available to help them to be successful and you would hope to see 5% or less of your students in this category. We utilize both sides of this pyramid at Parkade and you’ll see our model in just a little while.

22. Parkade Core Social Skills Curriculum
Expectations
Be Safe
Be Respectful
Be Responsible
Matrix
Defines Social Skills for Settings in Our School
Carrie

23. Carrie

24. Carrie

25. Carrie

26. Parkade Core/Universal Social Skills Curriculum
Weekly Cool Tool and Problem Solving Steps
Teachers Teach Directly during morning meeting…8:50 – 9:20 each day.
Skills are selected by reviewing SWIS problem behavior data.
Specific Lesson Plans provided to teachers
Tell: Talk about the Skill
Show: Teacher Models the Skill
Practice: Student’s Practice the Skill
Linda

27. Problem Solving Steps Stop: Choose a composure tool
Think: What do I want right now?
Talk: Take turns talking and listening
Choose: A strategy to solve the problem
Check: Was the problem solved?
Linda

28. Linda

29. Parkade’s Need
To provide more intensive social skills instruction for some students who did not respond to core social skills lessons
Linda

30. Student Identification Process
Tier II Parkade Data Decision Rules – Behavior:
2-5 ABLE Room Referrals (Major)
2+ Buddy Room referrals in a 2 week period (Minor)
Student is engaging in a repeated pattern of problem behavior in more than one setting or with more than one adult
Internalizing Behaviors
Problem behavior is having negative consequences on student’s social relationships
The problem behavior is NOT dangerous to student or others
Linda

31. Identifying Students for Social Skills Groups
Teacher nominated students who could not repeat or demonstrate usage of skill steps:
Stop
Think
Talk
Choose
Check
To confirm students identified, teachers collected baseline on number of redirects given to students when they did not “Stop and Think”
Linda

32. Social Skills Group Curriculum
Stop and Think Social Skills Program by Project Achieve
30 minutes, 2 times a week
Lesson Schedule
Week 1 & 2: Stop and Think
Week 3: Listen Attentively
Week 4: Following Directions
Week 5: Accepting Consequences
Week 6: Review of All Skills
Linda

33. Lesson Plan Example: Following Directions
Specific Skill: I Can Follow Directions
Skill Steps/Learning Targets – This means I will:
Listen attentively
Raise hand to speak or ask questions
Begin task immediately
Tell: Introduce the idea of following directions by:
1) Reading Listen Buddy by Lynn Munsinger. Buddy the Rabbit finds himself in trouble when he doesn’t listen carefully enough to follow directions.
2) Having students work in pairs or groups to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, listening to specific teacher how-to instructions.
Linda

34. Lesson Plan Example: Following Directions
Teacher Shows:
Non-examples: Student doesn’t begin or complete assignment even with teacher assistance
Student needs teacher reminder to begin the task or assignment
Students doesn’t ask questions if unsure of directions
Guided Practice:
Role play
Teacher reads scenarios & students give “thumb’s up” if it is a good example of following directions.
Feedback:
“Thank you for putting your eyes on me while I am giving directions. You are being respectful”
Linda

35. Teacher Feedback All redirects to the student are counted.
The student should be observed for two, 30 minute observations, two times per week. (The data should be collected on Tuesday and then at your convenience Thursday or Friday)
Rating scale that identifies how the teacher feels the student is doing with each skill.
Feedback turned into Social Skills Group facilitator weekly.

36. Feedback to Parents Weekly progress report
Shares skill student is learning
Asks Parents to practice at home

37. Daily Progress Report
Under Construction!
Linda

38. Lessons Learned
Social skills groups are for students who have a skill acquisition deficit, NOT a performance deficit
LOTS of problem solving steps and models—had to decide on one
Carrie

39. We Always Teach!
“If a child doesn’t know how to read, we teach.” “If a child doesn’t know how to swim, we teach.” “If a child doesn’t know how to multiply, we teach.” “If a child doesn’t know how to drive, we teach.” “If a child doesn’t know how to behave, we..teach? …punish?” “Why can’t we finish the last sentence as automatically as we do the others?” John Herner
Linda

40. Contact Us Tim Lewis lewistj@missouri.edu
Carrie Freeman
Linda Bradley